Type-writing machine.



J. A. B. SMITH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2. 1917.

1,281,08'K, Patented Oct. 8, 1918,

%% v BY TINTTED %A% PANT f lfi.

JESSE K. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUQ ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE-WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPE-WRITIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dot. 8, 1918.

Original application filed July 12, 1915, Serial No. 39,247. Divided andthis application filed March 2, 1917. Serial No. 151,888.

tain new and useful Improvements in TypelVritingMachines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates principally to typewriting machines for writingupon a number of superposed webs or continuous sheets,-

especially those which are intended to be torn off in. sections from thebody of the web, as, for example, when the webs com-- prise a series ofprinted forms, each adapted to be removed when the typewriting thereonis completed. A machine of this general character is shown and describedin the patent to Wernery 86 Smith, No. 1,132,055, dated March 16, 1915.In that machine, after-a section of web, to compose a printed sheet, hasbeen written, the platen is shifted away from the usual feed rollers torelease the web and the interleaved carbon sheets; whereupon, by meansof a carbon sheet holder, the carbon sheets are drawn back along the webinto position thereon for the printing of the next web section, the webitself being drawn forward a measured distance for removal of theprinted section thereof, and the next imprinted section thereof beingpositioned, with the carbon sheets therein, for the printing operation.The same carbon sheets are thus used over and over in the same web form.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of thecharacter described, reliable means for guiding the leading edge of theweb around the platen, past and beyond the printing line. It is commonin these machines to have a knife blade, lo-

cated above the printing line, for cutting off the printed sections ofthe web. Quite commonly, typewriting machines are provided with gageplates secured at the front of the machine which have base lines, withsca'lc marks thereon at letter-feed distances these parts is a featureof the present invention. To this end, the gage plates referred to areextended up in the form of spring clips to bear against the platen nearthe printing oint, and to extend above the printing line. The scalelines ofthe gages at the printing line are formed by the base lines ofthe apertures cut through the gages at an intermediate part thereof. Inorder that the cutter may be used to guide the paper beyond the pointwhere the gages cease to do so, the cutter is mounted to be moveddownward, from its normal cutting position, to a point where itcoi'iperates with the gages to form with the latter a substantiallycontinuous guiding surface for the leading edgeof the web at the frontof the platen. For this purpose, the cutter may be mounted on armsadapted to be rocked on the platen shaft, and a key lever may beprovided for holding the cutter in normal position, and for effectingmovement of the same when desired.

A further feature ofthe invention relates to a means for assuring properalinement of the leading edge of the web after it has been released, andwhen it is drawn forward to the gage, preparatory to the cutaccidentallytipped to one side or other and held against the gage at an angle; sothat, when out, it will not be cut squarely. The preferred device of thepresent invention, for maintaining and assuring proper position of webfor cutting, is a blade on the shelf over which the web is drawn to thegage; this blade serving as a guide for one edge of the web as thelatter is drawn to the gage, and also serving, in conjunction with thegage, as a means for squaring up the advanced section of the.web"whenthe latter is at the gage. The guide is preferably adjusta'blelengthwise of the platen for webs writing machine, the parts being inposition to permit writingupon a work-piece.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the platen with the combinedpaper guide and cutter mounted on the platen shaft in operative relationto the platen.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, of certain of the parts, assembled on thecarriage, in normal or printing position.

- Fig. 4 is aview similar to that of Fig. 3, except that the combinedguide and cutter is shown in the position in which it acts to guide ordirect the leading edge of the web around the platen to position,preliminary to printing.

Referring to the drawings, the platen 7 is fixed on the shaft 8.which isjournaled in a frame fast to a rock shaft 9, having hearings in the endplates 10 of the platen carriage. This pivoted frame consists of endplates or arms 11 fast to the rock shaft 9, and connected by a brace bar12. The platen has its bearings in the plates 11. The frame is normallyheld in the Fig. 3 position, with the platen down against the usual feedrolls 13 and 14. It is swung from itsnormal or. printing position to itswebreleasing position, as shown in United States Letters Patent1,132,055, to Wernery and Smith, by means of an armor handle 15 which isalso fast to the shaft 9; For locking the platen frame in printingposition, the handle 15 carries a pin 16 adapted to be engaged by a hook17 pivotally mounted on a bracket 18 on the end plate 10 of the platencarriage. A spring 19 engages the hook and the bracketto hold the hookin platen-locking position and to return. it to such position when freetodo so. The nose of the hook is shaped at '20 to permit the pin 16 tocam it backward until the pin can pass under the nose, thereby ,makingthe locking operation automatic when the platen frame is swung down tonormal position. A tooth 21 on the hook may serve to determine thereturn throw, and normal position, of the platen in conjunction with apin or stop 23 on the right-hand end carriage-piece 10 at the frontthereof. When the right-hand arm 22 fast on the shaft 9 strikes the pin23, the platen frame is definitely arrested.

To effect the line-space feed or rotation of the platen, there areprovided the usual hand wheel 24 and ratchet wheel 25, both fast to ashort shaft 26, mounted to rotate in the left-hand end piece 10 of thecarriage. In printing position, the shaft 26 is concentric with theplaten shaft 8. The ratchet is actuated by a pawl (not shown) on a.

slide 27, engaged by a line-space lever 28. The driving connectionbetween the shaft 26, whose axis is not changeable, and the platen shaft8, which swings from one to another position, consists of gears 29, 30and 31. The gear 29 is fast tothe shaft 26: The gear 30 is fast to theplaten shaft,

from the web, and in re-adjusting the web for printing the next length,the platen is swung from printing position. to a position away from thefeed rolls, so that the web no longer wra s around the platen, but maybe moved free y in substantially a straight line from .back to front ofthe machine. When the platen is in this position, the carbon sheetsbetween the plies or folds of the section of the web to be removed, aredrawn back into the length 'or section of webv next to be printed; and,after removal of a length of the web, and re-positioning of the web, theplaten is returned to its normal position against the feed rolls.

The web is led across the table and over the top of a .paper guide 44behind the platen (see Fig. 4), whence it is passed down between theplaten and the pressure rolls 13 and 14, and thence up between theplaten and a pairof paper guides or spring clips 46, one of which is oneach side of the printing point. From the guides 46 the web passesbetween the platen and the webcutting blade 47, onto the paper shelf 48,to which is secured a gage in the form of a bar 49 having adjustablymounted thereon, the gage-piece 50. The latter is a bent metal striphaving openings through which the bar 49 passes, and an offset portionagainst which the web can be drawn in measuring the length of the sheetto be cut from the web at the cutter 47. The gage-piece 50, isadjustable along the bar 49 for any desired length of sheet, and is heldin adjusted position by a thumb screw 51. The shelf 48 is screwed to thebrace 12, which forms part of the swinging platen frame, so that, (as inthe machine of the Wernery & Smith Patent 1,132,055, above referred to)the paper shelf may swing with the platen in opening a clear andstraight path for, the web when a sheet is to be cut therefrom, and whenre-adjustment is to be made for the printing of another sheet.

The cutter 47 is shown as a blade having a knife edge 52 against whichthe web can be turned and drawn to cut a section therefrom. Normally itis supported in Fig. 3 position bya pair of arms 53 pivotally mounted onthe platen shaft 8. Journaled in the side plate 11 of the platen frameis a rock shaft 54, fast to which are arms 55 having pins 56 which workin cam slots and may be out other than squarely, unless 57 in plates 58integral with the cutter-.

supporting arms 53. A. spring59secured at one end .to one of the arms 55and at the other end to the hub of the adjacent cutter arm 53, locks thecutter in normal position with the pins 56 in pockets .57 in the forwardends of the cam slots 57. It will be noted, on reference to Fig. 3, thatwhen the parts are in normal position, there is a space 60 between theguides 46 and the cutter. Such a space would offer an opportunity forthe leading edge of the web to be fed outside of' the cutter, instead ofbetween the cutter and the platen. To eliminate this possibility, thecutter is adapted to be swung down to Fig. 4 position to catch the weband to guide it in the proper direction. In order that the cutter mayhave this function as a paper guide, the rock shaft 54, by means ofwhich it is held in normal position, has, fixed thereto, a finger key61, which may be drawn forward, against the action of the spring 59,from Fig. 3 to 'Fig. 4 position. This movement of the key 61 forces thepins 56 rearward along the cam grooves 57,

thereby rocking the cutter arms downward with the cutter, until the rearends of the cam grooves determine the Fig. 4 position of the cutter; inwhich it will be noted that the space between theicutter and the guides46 has been closed, so that the web must strike the cutter and be guidedproperly to the shelf 48. It is necessary to have the cutter in the Fig.4 position only in first adjusting the forward length of the web catethe true letter-positions.

for printing; and consequently, during this operation, the cutter may beheld in this position by sustained pressure on the key 61. As soon asthe key is released, the spring 59 returns the cutter to normal Fig. 3position. The paper guides 46, (see Figs. 1 and 4), are spring metalstrips attached to the typebar segment bridge, one on each side of thetype guide and each bearing on the paper at or about the printing line,and near the printing point. These guides serve in the double capacityof paper fingers and line gages; and for the latter purpose, haveapertures 64, the lower edges 65 of which serve as base lines for theline of printing on the web and have scale markings 66, to indi- Byalining the writing with the two base lines thus provided, and bypositioning letters in the line at the scale markings, the properposition for any letter to be inserted at the printing point isaccurately ascertained.

When the platen frame is thrown up to release the Web, and the web isdrawn forward to the gage-piece 5O preliminary to cutting, all frictionof the several parts. on the web has been relieved, with the undesirableconsequence that the Web in front of the platen may be rocked from trueposition -edge of the web. To secure proper alinement of the web forcutting, it is only necessary, in drawing. the paper to the gage-piece50, to keep its edge in contact with the guide 67, To accommodate the V'de67 to webs of different widths, the guide 67 is adjustable on theplaten frame. It is held by a stud 68, which passes from a block 69 onone side of the brace 12 through a slot 70, which extends longitudinallyof the brace, and through the supporting portion of the guide 67, to beengaged by a threaded head 71, which may be loosened to permitadjustment of the guide along the slot, and tightened to lock the guidein place. The brace is stamped to provide a channel 72 in which theblock 69 may be moved without interference with the overlying shelf 48.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a rotary platen, 100

of means for feeding a web to the platen,

normally ineffective means for guiding the web around the platenincluding a blade against which the Web may be drawn for the cutting ofsections therefrom, and a fingerpiece for shifting the blade to guidingposition.

2. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, normally inefiective means for guiding the web around theplaten including a blade supported on the platen axle,against which theweb may be drawn for the cutting of sections therefrom, and afinger-piece for rotating the blade to guiding position.

3. The combination with'a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, and an adjustable blade which in one position acts as aguide for the web, and in another position serves as a cutter forremoving printed sections of the web.

4. The combination with a rotary platen,

' of means for feeding a web to the platen, a

blade for cutting printed sections from the web, arms loosely mounted onthe platen shaft for supporting said blade, and a cam for throwing theblade to and from cutting position.

6. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a blade for cutting printed sections from the web, armsloosely mounted on the platen shaft for supporting said blade, and a keyhaving a cam-slot connection with one of the blade-supporting arms tothrow the blade to and from cutting position.

7. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, .a blade for cutting printed sections from the web, armsloosely mounted on, the platen shaft for supp'or ting said blade, and acam for throwing the blade to and from cutting position, said cam havingstops to determine the several positions of said blade.

8. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a blade for cutting printed sections from the web, armsloosely mounted on the platen shaft for supporting said blade, and anoperating lever carrying a pin which engages a cam-slotin one of theblade-supporting arms to throw the blade to and from cutting position.

9. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a blade for cutting printed sections from the web, armsloosely mounted for supporting said blade, and a cam for throwing theblade to and from cutting position. v

10. The combination wih a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a blade for cutting printed sections from the web, armsloosely'mounted for supporting said blade, and an operating levercarrying a pin which engages a cam-slot in one of the blade-supportingarms to throw the blade to and. from cutting position.

11. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a blade loosely-supported on the platen shaft, said bladehaving a position away from the printing line in which it serves as acutter, and another position nearer the printing line, in which latterposition the blade catches and turns the leading edge of the web toguide the same around the platen, and means for shifting said blade fromone to the other of said positions.

12. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a blade having a position away from the printing line inwhich it serves as a cutter, and

another position nearer the printing line, in which latter position theblade catches and turns the leading edge of the web to guide the samearound the platen, and means for shifting said blade from one to theother of said positions. I

13. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a clip having an aperture with a scaled'base line to assistin positioning a line of print at the printing line, a blade for cuttingsections from the web, and means for throwing the blade from cuttingposition to a position where it cooperates with said clip to guide the vleading edge of the web beyond the printing line.

14. Thecombination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a clip having an aperture with a scaled base line to assistin positioning a line of print at the printing line, a blade for cuttingsections from the web, and means for throwing the blade from a cuttingposition beyond the printing line to a position nearer the printingline, where it overlaps the clip to cooperate with the latter inproviding a continuous guide for the leading edge of the .web beyond theprinting line.

'15. In a. typewriting machine, a rotary for determining the length ofsections to be cut from the web, and a blade for cutting said sections,means for eifecting proper alinement of the web at the gage preliminaryto the cutting operation, and means for shifting said blade to positionto guide a new end of the web toward the gage.

16. In a typewriting-machine, a rotary platen, a platen carriage, meansfor holding a web to the platen, means for shifting the laten from saidweb-holding means to release the web, a gage to which the web maybedrawn when released by the platen, for determining the length ofsections to be cut from the web, a blade for cutting said sections, andmeans for shifting the blade to cause it to be effective to guide theweb .to the gage.

17. In a typewriting machine, a rotary platen, a platen carriage, meansfor holding a web to the platen, means for shifting the platen from saidweb-holding means to release the web, a gage to which the web may bedrawn when released by the platen, for determining the length ofsections to be cut from the web, a blade for cutting said sections,means for guiding the web in proper different widths of web, and meansfor shifting said blade to position to guide a new end of the web towardthe gage.

18. In a typewriting machine, a rotary platen, a platen carriage, meansfor holding the web to the platen, means for shifting the platen fromsaid Web-holding means to release the web, a gage to which the web maybe drawn when released by the platen, for determining the length ofsections to be cut from the web, a'blade for cutting said sections, apaper shelf on the shifting platen frame between the platen and thegage, a paper-guiding finger adapted to guide'the web upward frombeneath the platen, and means for shifting said blade to position toguide a new end of the web toward said gage from said finger.

19. The combination with a rotary platen, of means for feeding a Web tothe platen, a blade for cutting sections from the web, a device formoving said blade to position to act as a uide, and means for positivelyholding said blade in normal cutting position.

20. The combination with-a rotary platen, of means for feeding a web tothe platen, a

pivoted blade for cutting sections from the Web, and a finger-piecehaving a pin-andslot connection with the blade for moving the latter toanother position, said slot having an extension adapted to positivelyhold said blade by said pin when the blade is in a cutting position.

21. The combination with a rotary platen,

of means for feeding a web to the platen, a

blade for cutting sections from the web, pivoted arms for supportingsaid blade in position to act as a guide, a finger-piece having apin-and-slot connection to one of said arms for moving said blade frompaper-cutting position to a paper-guiding position, and meansautomatically made inefiective by said finger-piece for normallypositively holding the blade in its cutting position.

22. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a blade adapted toact asaguide, of a finger-piece for moving said blade from apaper-cutting position to a paper-guiding position, a spring normallydrawing it to cutting position and means for positively holding saidblade in position until released by action of the finger-piece.

23. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a rotary platen, ofmeans for feeding a web to the platen, a bladefor cutting sections fromthe web, pivoted arms for supporting said blade, one of said arms beingslotted, a finger-piece, a rock shaft movable by said finger-piece, anarm extending from said rock shaft, and a projection on said armextending into the slot in one of said pivoted supporting arms, saidslot having a depression at one end thereof into which the projection ofsaid arm seats itself to positively hold the blade against accidentalmovement when the latter is in a cutting position.

JESSE A. B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JENNIE P. THoRNE, EDITH B. LIBBEY.

